AHHHH! I APOLOGIZE! (does dogeza as flat as possible) I KNOW IM REALLY REALLY LATE! I HAD EXAMS (mom: that's an excuse)!

In any case, thank you to everyone reviewed and pushed for this chapter! I had to reconstruct it because my laptop got stolen along with half of the original draft, so poo you stupid thief. But anyways, HERE IT IS! Chapter 9! Enjoy!

Sanada gently laid Kimiko onto the bed, her brown hair streaming across the pillow like dark, wavy rivers.

As he quietly backed away and attempted to slip out the door, he heard a tiny mumble from behind him. He turned to see Kimiko gazing sleepily at him through half-lidded eyes. "Thank you," she whispered. "Genichirou."

Sanada nodded and took another step out of her room before halting. Seeming to be debating with himself for a moment, he then rushed back towards the bed. Kimiko started a bit as warm arms suddenly wrapped around her, Sanada's face buried in her neck. "I love you."

She smiled, patting his head amusedly in return for the gruff confession. "Thank you," she murmured once more. "For everything."

He let go and faced her, regaining his stern tone. "Sleep. I'll wake you up in time for dinner." Kissing the top of her head for the last time, he strolled out, briskly shutting the door behind him after making sure she had closed her eyes.

"How is she?"

Sanada's parents immediately cornered him as soon as he left Kimiko's room. Afraid their conversation would wake her; Sanada dragged them back to the living room.

"She's asleep now, but she was grieving a lot before calming down."

His parents exchanged concerned looks before looking at their son with worry. He punched a nearby cushion in frustration. "Why can't I do anything for her?"

Sanada continued to punch the cushion while his mother and father stood by, looking on helplessly and unsure of what to do to comfort him. Finally, a hand firmly grasped Sanada's shoulder, and he paused in recognition. "Grandfather?"

"She needs you, Genichirou. What is she going to do if you lose yourself as well?"

His grandfather's tone was weary, but at the same time, laced with gentleness and concern for both the teenagers. She was already like a granddaughter to him, and he hoped that Sanada and her would both be healthy and happy, which meant they needed to somehow overcome this hurdle together.

"Calm yourself." Sanada took in a couple deep breaths through his nose before letting it out.

"Now let everything go. Forget." Both grandfather and grandson sat down and closed their eyes in meditation, allowing the world around them to disappear for the few seconds they needed complete silence.

…

"Better?"

"Yes. Thank you, grandfather. Mother, father." Sanada couldn't express the gratitude inside himself at the moment for his family. However, a pang of pain struck, as he realized that Kimiko no longer had that. Unless… an idea hit him and his eyes lit up.

"Mother? Father?" His parents turned towards him in curiosity.

"Could I ask a really big favor of you? And Grandfather, too?"

"Kimiko?" Sanada rapped on the door before sliding it open.

She was sleeping serenely on the bed still, her face similar to that of an angel—well in Sanada's opinion anyways.

"Hey, Kimiko. Get up." Sanada rocked her a bit to wake her up. "Dinner."

As if it could hear him, Kimiko's stomach immediately rumbled in response to the word, yet the actual person did not budge an inch. Sanada chuckled and knelt down at her bedside, thoughtfully gazing at her sleeping face for a couple moments before gently tugging off the bed covers.

Kimiko squinted open one eye in lamentation from losing her blankets, but immediately squealed. "Eeeek!" Sanada continued to tickle her as she laughed uncontrollably and futilely attempted to bat away his hands. "No, aha, Genichirou. Ha, no, bad—aha, go-away!"

He finally relented and stood up, again ruffling her hair. "Time for dinner. Just get dressed. My mom's set out some stuff for you, and your belongings that Tezuka brought."

"Kunimitsu?"

"Yeah. He came over a second time before leaving again. Seems like his parents are having a rough time, too."

"I see…Auntie and Uncle are grieving as well…"

A silence settled over them like a low cloud, and both of them were speechless for a good few minutes. Sanada broke the quiet by clearing his throat.

"So just casually dress. No need to get fancy," he added, already seeing Kimiko attempt to style her hair.

"Oh, okay." She nodded, somewhat confused, before quickly tying up her hair in a ponytail and then slipping down from the bed. Sanada watched as she grabbed the clothes set out by Sanada's mother and spread it out, looking at the material admiringly. "Wow, it's so pretty…" He smiled.

She grabbed the bottom of her shirt before freezing and turning a warning eye on Sanada.

"Well?" he looked at her expectantly. "Hurry up. We're making my parents wait."

She covered her face with her hand in exasperation. "Genichirou, I'm not your tennis team."

He looked at her, at her clothes, and back at her. "Oh… OH."

Kimiko watched in amusement as her usually gruff boyfriend's face gradually turned pink with realization, then beet red in embarrassment and he dashed out the door, slamming it behind him while yelling, "Come out when you're done!"

She chuckled. He's just too cute…

"Oh good! It fits just right! You look fabulous!" Sanada's mother exclaimed in joy as Kimiko walked into the dining room.

Kimiko blushed and bowed. "Thank you so much for the lovely gift."

His mother waved her hand, dismissing the formality. "Don't be so stiff, my dear. Treat this like your home." Kimiko looked up at her in surprise. "Home?"

"We'll be your new family." Sanada wrapped an arm around her waist as his parents and grandfather gathered together and came closer.

"We can't be a substitute because your parents will always be in your heart. But while we cannot replace them, we will stick by you as your second family. Through anything." Sanada's parents nodded in agreement, smiling inwardly at their son's protective arm around Kimiko.

"I-I…" Kimiko was speechless. She began to cry again, and Sanada panicked.

"Kimiko? What's wrong?" He gestured to his mother for a tissue—she immediately ran out of the dining room to get one, dashing back in a few seconds later and handing it to Sanada. He dried his girlfriend's tears, and then held her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

"Hey," he murmured, "what's wrong?"

She smiled through her tears, and Sanada was relieved to find a genuine one on her face this time. "Nothing," she choked while smiling at the same time. "I'm so grateful. Thank you so much. For everything."

She slipped out of Sanada's arms and bowed as deeply as she could to his family members—her new family now. "I'll be a handful, but please allow me to rely on you in the future."

Sanada grabbed her again and ruffled her hair to get the formalness out of her system. "Oh, you little…"

"Hey!" Kimiko protested, and Sanada's father began laughing at the comic scene. Eventually everyone joined in, filling the house with peals of laughter after a day of mourning.

Sanada glanced over at Kimiko while the "new" family joked and talked. Her eyes were tired, but beginning to regain the sparkle he so loved. She seemed to feel his gaze on her and swiveled to face him, grinning cheekily all the while. He jumped at being caught looking, and Kimiko slipped over to him when the adults' conversation became "adult-ish" talk. "Hey there," she chirped.

"Hello to you, too."

"What's up?" she asked, taking a long drink from a glass. Sanada rolled his eyes at the generic greeting.

"The ceiling," he replied drily.

Kimiko choked on her sip of water and coughed. Sanada was immediately anxious. "You all right?"

She waved him away, snickering. "Yeah, I'm fine, you worrywart. You do know that 'the ceiling' answer is really out now?"

"…" Sanada glared at her.

"Doesn't work on me," Kimiko said with evident glee in her voice. "Old man." She added impishly.

He looked away, disgruntled.

"Hey, hey," she murmured half-apologetically, making sure he wasn't actually angry at her before asking, "What were you thinking? I saw you watching me." She couldn't help but smile again.

"Not much. Just kind of…happy." Sanada couldn't describe the feeling in him right now. It was kind of fluffy (A/N: GASP! Sanada? FLUFFY? ^^) and definitely really warm.

Kimiko leaned her back against his chest without saying anything. He looked down at her and asked back, "What are you thinking right now?"

"Right now?" He nodded.

She put a finger on her chin in deep thought; Sanada watched her as she pondered. Kimiko mused for a couple minutes before bouncing off and facing him, taking his hands in hers. "Do you really want to know?" she teased, swinging their intertwined hands left and right like children often do on the playground.

"Yes." Sanada was starting to become irritated at waiting. He never was a patient person in the first place.

But the next thing took him completely by surprise. Kimiko stood up on her tiptoes, pecked him on the cheek, and when she settled back down on the ground, nonchalantly said, "I'm glad I met you; that's all."

A flash of pink ran across Sanada's features before he grinned and bent to whisper something in Kimiko's ear. She giggled happily, and jumped onto him to hug her boyfriend as tight as she could. "I'm never going to let go now, you know."

He nodded, nuzzling her hair with his nose and tightening his embrace. "I'm your prisoner. Bring on the shackles."

"I'm glad I fell in love with you."

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